About Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic), is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main Island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth largest Island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. Most notable are the lemur infraorder of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab species.
The Malagasy are of mixed Malayo-Indonesian and African-Arab ancestry. The French made the Island a protectorate in 1885, and then, in 1894–1895, ended the monarchy, exiling Queen Rànavàlona III to Algiers. A colonial administration was set up, to which the Comoro Islands were attached in 1908, and other territories later. In World War II, the British occupied Madagascar, which retained ties to Vichy France. Madagascar became an independent member of the community in 1960.
International and domestic flights come into Ivato airport, just north of Antananarivo. The airports in Mahajanga and Toamasina both handle flights from Réunion, Mauritius and the Comoros. Air Madagascar, Air France and Corsair, all operating flights from France, fly directly to Madagascar. There are now a few flights per week from Milan to Nosy Be or Île Sainte Marie in addition to flights from Munich or Rome to Antananarivo. The main hubs for flights to Madagascar are Johannesburg in South Africa and Nairobi in Kenya. Air Madagascar flies between Singapore and Antananarivo, with connections in Singapore to other Asian countries. Because Madagascar is so large, it experiences several climates simultaneously. The only time to avoid is January to March, when heavy rainfall in many areas of the country makes many roads muddy and impassable, limits outdoor activities and the risk of cyclones (particularly in the east and northeast of the country) is high. The coolest time to travel is during the winter months (May to October), when the Central Highlands (including Antananarivo) can get cold, wet and windy, although it can still be hot and sunny in the west and southwest. The Island's west and southwest get quite hot during summer (November to March), which can make moving around uncomfortable.